Improved method of



UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

JOHN TV. MIDDLETON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED METHOD 0F APPLYING HEAT TO DILATE GASES FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELEVATIRG WATER.

Specification forming part ofV Letters Patent No. 11,67 l, dated September 12, 1854.

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, J oHN W. MIDDLETON, of the city and county `ot` Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engines for Elevating and Projecting Water by the EX- pansive Force of Air or other Fluids Dilated by Heat, this engine likewise serving as an airvessel to equalize the discharge of water from a system of pipes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the said engine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of the i engine, a short length of the main pipe, and a gage-pipe connected therewith; and Fig. 2, a vertical section through the same.

My said engine may be made in a multitude of different forms and applied to a great variety of circumstances. I shall, however, only describe one of those forms, as this will be suficient for the purpose of illustration.

The accompanying drawings represent a strong cylindrical vessel, A, of, say, ten feet indiameter and ten feet in height, made of boiler-plate riveted together in the same manner as is common in making steam-boilers. This vessel is air-tight and capable of sustaining great pressure. At its lower edge a supply-pipe, B, enters one side, and a dischargepipe, O, passes out at the other,through which, respectively, the water enters the vessel and is discharged therefrom. A check-valve, D, is placed in the pipes on each side of the vessel to prevent a reflux of the water, and at any point between the two check-valves a gagepipe is placed to keep the pressure in the vessel within safe limits.

The upper part of the vessel is intersected by two series of tubes, E, which connect its opposite sides so as to form fines through the vessel withoutimpairingits tightness. A tray or gutter, F, having a series of holes in its side, surrounds the outside of the lower part of the vessel, and the upper outer edge of this gutter is flanged, and has a groove-in the Hange in which the lower edge of a jacket, G, rests, which incloses the whole of the upper part of the vessel, leaving only a narrow space of from four to six inches wide between them. The crown of the jacket has a smoke-pipe ot' considerable height erected upon it, so as to crcate a strong draft of air in at the series of ap-' ertures a in the side of the tray or gutter F and up through the space between the jacket G and the sides and top of the vessel A. case suitable valves are arranged for the purpose of directing the draft on its way to the chimney through the tubes E in the top of the vessel, then the draft entering at the gutter will pass up the sides of the vessel, through the tubes at its top, and thence to the chimney.

If some inflammable substance--as dry wood, straw, tar, turpentine, Sta-were placed in the tray F and ignited, it would burn intensely, and the iame would rapidly heat the upper part of the vessel. Now, suppose the vessel A to be cold and filled with air at the temperature and pressure of the surrounding atmosphere, then let water flow into it through the pipe B under the pressure of the head or forcing apparatus,l by which it is supplied, the water will gradually rise in the vessel, compressing the air above it, and it will also at the same time flow on into the pipe C until it has attained the same level or pressure in this pipe and its branches as it has in the air-vessel A. W'hen the water has risen in the air-vessel to the height corresponding to the head or pressure of the source of supply, which, if it equals three atmospheres, the air within the vessel will be compressed into the upper part of the latter into one-third of the space which it filled e before admission of the water. If, now, a tire should be made round the outside of the vessel A, as before described, the heat would rapidly expand the air within the vessel and discharge the water again with a force proportioned to the degree to which the air is heated and dilated; but as the check-valve prevents the redux of the water into the pipe B it must pass forward into the pipe O and go to the place whence it is to be ultimately discharged and used. Now, if a hose should be connected with any partof the pipe C, while the air is heated within the vessel A and tending to dilate with great energy, the water would be forced from the nozzle of the hose as it it were the discharge-pi pe of a pumping-engine, so that this engine can be employed effectually as a means of quenching tires in houses by drenching them with water. Therefore every house,

2 ll,67l

by being supplied with one of these air-vessels, would have a powerful water-engine on the premises which could be used to throw water through a hose to wash windows, water gardens or other grounds, quench fires, &c., and, as a few handfuls of straw, dry wood, shavings, paper, a small quantity of oil, spirits, and various other things that will produce instant flame, some of which are always within reach, could be applied to heat the air-vessel, the en gine can at any time be put into efficient working order with full power in a few minutes.

A board, oil, or other substance may be' placed on the surface of the water as a float to t insnlatefthe air in the top ofthe air-vessel from the cooling effects of contact with the water paratus were so arranged as to heat the air at.

the top, the vesselful of water would soon be expelled through the pipe C. The upper part of the vessel could then be cooled to contract the air to admit a fresh vsupply of water,when, by reheating the air, the water would be again expelled, as before. In this way a vessel containing a thousand hogsheads of water could be filled and then emptied by forcing the wal ter through pipes to supply towns, xnanufactories, or to be otherwise utilized.

A vessel of this kind fitted with heating ap- -water any given district.

paratus, instead of elevating water,l directly from a river or lake, might form the receptacle for water raised by the tide-and current ram, which I have invented for the purpose of supplying cities with Water. then further elevate and distribute the water, and in case of a lire-could be made, with the aid of my distributing-pipes, to deluge with When the ram and this engine are used together, it is advisable to have two'engines, that the rain may be filling one while the other is being discharged. So, also, in the case of employing this engine in a river or pond to elevate water therefrom, two or more should be used in connection, so that while one is heilig discharged by dilating the air within it another may be filling, to be in itsturn discharged while the first is being relled.

Instead of air within the vessel, any other dilating-fluids may be employed that for any cause may be deemed preferable.

' I make no claim to elevating-duids by the dilation or contraction of gaseous media, whether by natural or artificial heat; but

What I do claim is The method herein described and represented of applying heat to elevate water.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN w'.i MIDDLETON.

-Witnesses:

P. H. WATsoN, PETER HANNAY.

The vessel would 

